Body garment



Aug. 26, 1958 c. w. HlNE 2,849,003

BODY GARMENT Filed vS ept. 27, 1955 FIG. I

FIG. 2

INVENTOR Charles W. Hine MORNEY United States Patent BODY GARMENT Charles W. Hine, Pine Orchard, Conn., assignor to S2- rong Inc., West Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 27, 1955, Serial No. 536,986 7 Claims. (Cl. 128-547) This invention relates to an improvement in ladies garment construction, and more particularly to an improved girdle.

In Patent No. 2,445,322 issued July 20, 1948, to M. C. Fridolph there is disclosed an invention for a body garment which provides a unique and novel structure for use as a girdle. In recognition of its excellence both as to the support which it offers and the comfort which it provides, this girdle has won wide public acceptance. It was stated in Patent No. 2,445,322 that the garment was especially effective to relieve the tension along the lower edge of the garment particularly in Walking and sitting. It is toward the improvement of the structure in this respect that the present invention is directed.

It may therefore be stated that the primary object of the present invention is to offer a girdle which gives to the wearer thereof unprecedented comfort and ease of movement regardless of the position assumed by the wearer. Girdles, it is well known, extend over not only the lower torso of the body but confine the upper portions of the legs as well. When the body is in motion, the juncture between torso and legs .is, of course, one of the hinge points which makes it possible for one to move. A garment which unitarily extends over both the torso and the upper legs must necessarily to some degree impede body movement. To overcome this impediment I introduce yielding elements into the garment whereby the primary stated object may be achieved.

It is another object herein to preserve all Of the advantages which inhere in the basic garment of which my garment is an improvement, advantages as to comfort, sureness and efficiency of support, fabrication, and the like, and yet to make the garment even more effective.

How these and many other objects are to be implemented will become clear through a consideration of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of my novel garment with a portion of one front panel broken away, and

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same with a portion of the rear panel broken away in order that the structure may better be seen.

At the top of the garment is a waist band 10 of stretchable material, the interior of which is lined with a soft material 11 to provide comfortable contact with the body of the wearer. The garment has as well side panels 12 and 13 which may be of elastic material having a two-way stretch. There is also a bottom band 14 of stretchable material from which garters 15 depend. Rear panel 15 extends between the side panels 12 and 13 being secured thereto by lines of stitching 16 and 17.

The front of the garment is occupied by partially super posed panels 20 and 21, the numeral 20 designating the under panel, and 21 the outer. Panels 20 and 21 both are secured to the side panels 12 and 13 and extend downwardly from the top of the garment, and are non-stretchable. As may be seen in the drawings, the panels 20 and 21 do not have horizontal terminal lower edges, but rather does each terminate in an elastic strip 22 and 23 respectively, each of which strips is biased upwardly oppositely to the other so that they cross. At the lower edge where strips 22 and 23 are present neither the strips nor panels 20 and 21 are joined. It will be seen that strip 22 joins side panel 12 at corner 24 thereof and side panel 13 below the medial line of the garment at 25. Strip 23 joins side panel 13 at corner 26 thereof and side panel 12 at 27 below the medial line of the garment. The strips cross and because panels 20 and 21 are identical, though reversed as to position, a line determined by the points at which the top edges and bottom edges of strips 22 and 23 cross, will coincide with the front vertical axis of the garment.

It is apparent that by the use of the yielding strips 22 and 23, I have provided a means for augmenting the structural system for freedom of movement which depends primarily upon the superposed panels 20 and 21 having biased lower edges which forms the subject matter of Fridolph Patent No. 2,445,322. The give of the parts of the garment which bear against the legs of the wearer will assure a new measure of comfort regardless of the position assumed by the wearer, whether walking, sitting, bending, or any other.

While I have described a specific embodiment of my inventive improvement in girdles, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein, and that garments made with such changes and modifications will still fall within the ambit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A girdle including side portions each having a substantially vertical edge situated at the front of said garment, a pair of partially superposed front panels both being joined at each side thereof to each said substantially vertical edge, and a pair of elastic strips, the lower edge of each of said front panels being joined to one of said elastic strips, each of said strips at one end thereof being joined to and biased upwardly from a lower corner of one said substantially vertical edge and being joined to the other said substantially vertical edge at a location below the horizontal medial line at the front of said girdle, said strips crossing substantially along the front vertical medial line of said girdle.

2. A girdle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panels are of non-stretchable material.

3. A girdle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panels are of non-stretchable material, and said side portions are of material having a two way stretch.

4. A girdle comprising a rear panel, side panels joined to said rear panel along the side edges thereof, each of said side panels terminating in a substantially vertical edge at the front of said garment, a pair of partially superposed front panels both being joined at each side thereof to each said substantially vertical edge, said rear panel, said side panels, and said front panels all extending downwardly from the top of said girdle and a pair of elastic strips, the lower edge of each of said front panels being joined to one of said elastic strips, each of said strips at one end thereof being joined to and biased upwardly from a lower corner of one said substantially vertical edge and being joined to the other said substantially vertical edge at a location below the horizontal medial line at the front of said girdle, said strips crossing substantially along the front vertical medial line of said girdle.

5. A girdle as claimed in claim 4 wherein said rear panel is only stretchable vertically.

6. Agirdle as claimed in :claim 4 indluding a horizontally stretchable waistband extending between said substantially vertical edges across the tops of said side panels and said back panel.

7. A girdle as claimed in claim 4 including horizontally stretchable bands extending between said substantially vertical edges along the top and bottom of said girdle across saidside panels and'said back panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bullinger July 6, 1943 Fridolph July 20, 1948 Cadous Dec. 25, 1951 Mayer May 3, 1955 Dowd Apr. 24, 1956 

